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SEAir Increases Flights to Caticlan (Boracay)

In response to rising demand, Southeast Asian Airlines, SEAir, starting October 15 and onwards, will have 32 flights a day from 27 flights to Caticlan.(Boracay)

Avelino Zapanta, SEAir president, said this is in line with the company’s mission of helping the tourism development in the country, especially to Boracay.

”Our aircraft, the Dornier 328 and LET 410 are both capable of Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL). They are aerodynamically designed in a way that it is capable of landing and taking-off in about 750 meters with full pay load. I think, these aircraft are the most appropriate for small runways where bigger commercial airplanes cannot land,” Zapanta said.

Zapanta said the airline will also go international, noting that with the recent signing of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Open Sky Agreement, “it is full speed ahead for SEAir as it plans to operate flights for Singapore, Macau, Incheon (South Korea), Bangkok and Kaoshiung (Taiwan).”

”In April, SEAir made its maiden flight to Singapore and Macau; in August, Bangkok and Hong Kong; and in September, we are looking at Incheon, Bangkok and Kaoshiung,” Zapanta said.

All new flights will use the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark, Pampanga, Zapanta added.

In November flights from Puerto Princesa to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia were made available. The total routing of the operation is Clark-Caticlan (Boracay)-Puerto Princesa-Kota Kinabalu.

This is the carrier's first international flight which also serves as its entry point to the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) market.

Meanwhile, Zapanta said, “We believe in tourism as the industry of the future for the Philippines and SEAir wishes to continue to contribute in the tradition of its pioneering effort that started 14 years and recently has been manifested in new services to Tablas, Daet, Baler, Basco and Borongan.”

Aviation records show that in January to October last year, more than 35 percent of all flights to Caticlan (Boracay) were made via SEAir.

SEAir made 3,511 flights to and from Caticlan. This translates to 635 flights more than the nearest competitor.

To further boost passenger traffic, SEAir recently introduced a state-of-the-art reservation system where passenger may avail of the best online deals such as inexpensive fares for definite travel dates (FlySaver) and VIP tickets for those who require a good deal of flexibility on their itinerary (FlyFlex).

The airline uses a fleet of Dornier 328s and LET410 aircraft. The Dornier 328 is a 32-seater twin engine turboprop aircraft which is also being used by other airlines worldwide such as British Airways, KLM and United Airlines, to name a few.

On the other hand, the 19-seater LET 410 is ideal for small runways and other destinations where bigger planes could not land.

SEAir is owned by foreign partnership of Iren Dornier and Nikos Gitsis (40 percent) and the Filipino group of Tomas Lopez, Jr. (60 percent).